Pune: NCP’s Rupali Thombre Patil Seeks MLC Ticket, Writes To Maharashtra DCM Sunetra Pawar

Pune: With elections to the Maharashtra Legislative Council now officially announced, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Rupali Thombre Patil from Pune has written to Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar seeking a chance to contest for the Upper House of Maharashtra State Legislation.

Her request comes as her party is expected to get only one seat in the upcoming polls.

In her letter, Thombre highlighted her long political journey of nearly 20 years for the party. She said she has worked actively at the grassroots level and has held key positions, including corporator and Chairperson of the City Improvement Committee with Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC).

She claimed she has led several development works and stayed connected with public issues. She also pointed to the strong support she received during past graduate constituency elections. Thombre said she has consistently raised her voice against injustice and worked for the weaker sections of society.

The election for nine regular seats and one by-election seat will take place on 12th May. Voting will be held between 9:00 AM and 4:00 PM. The results are expected later the same day. The announcement has triggered political activity across parties, especially over seat-sharing and candidate selection.

The ruling Mahayuti alliance is in a strong position due to its numbers in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly. On the other hand, the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) is expected to secure only one seat comfortably.

Uncertainty In MVA

There is still uncertainty over which party within the alliance will get that seat. Congress Maharashtra State President Harshvardhan Sapkal has already made comments on the issue, adding to the political buzz.

Several current members of the Council are set to complete their terms. These include Former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, Deputy Speaker of the council Dr Neelam Gorhe, Shashikant Shinde, Amol Mitkari, Gopichand Padalkar, Ranjitsinh Mohite-Patil, Rajesh Rathore, Pravin Datke, and Ramesh Karad.

MLAs To Decide

The election will be decided by MLAs. A candidate needs at least 28 votes to win one seat. The Mahayuti alliance has enough strength to win up to eight seats without difficulty. In contrast, the MVA has only 46 MLAs. This means it can easily win one seat but will struggle to secure a second without extra support.

As the date approaches, attention is now on the final candidate lists. Thombre’s letter has added another layer to the internal competition within her party. The final decision will show who gets the limited opportunity in a tightly contested political space.